This is the perfect witchy rom-com for spooky season! It’s super sweet and quick!

The FMC owns a bakery/cafe and it has the cozy elements I love which also having magic! At some point in her life she had a hex cast on her causing danger to those she has a relationship with. She has to figure out how to end the hex and the set awareness that comes from the journey is heart warming. Definitely recommend!

Best Hex Ever was a witchy book that felt like a warm hug. It was cozy, funny, romantic, and heartwarming. There were a few moments that even had me close to tears. Best Hex Ever is an amazing debut novel and I'm already excited for Nadia's next book. I even read Best Hex Ever in one sitting, so it's safe to say I enjoyed this one.

Dina was such a fun character and if she was real, I would've loved to have been friends with her. I love that she had her own bakery and added spells to her pastries that affected her customers in a positive way. If only she didn't have the hex that kept her from falling in love, because if someone develops feelings for her they start having lots of bad luck. Scott is a curator and has been traveling the world trying to get over a bad break up. There's an instant connection between these two and while I'm normally not a fan of that, Nadia wrote this in such an amazing way. Yeah, feelings were there, but it didn't feel over the top.

Their romance is mixed together with their best friend's wedding. The side characters are amazing, and I loved all of the wedding activities. It was very clear these friends were very close and I love that element in romances. And even though I said there is a bit of instalove in Best Hex Ever, we still get a slow burn romance. Scott and Dina don't act on their attraction for quite some time and the tension jumps off of the page. The hex is always in the back of her mind, but she still gives her feelings for Scott a chance. I really enjoyed how everything with the hex played out and it felt very fitting.

Best Hex Ever is a cozy, heartwarming, and romantic story and I definitely see myself picking this one up again the future. I can't wait for Rosemary's (one of Dina's best friends) book releasing next year.

My review will also be posted on https://thebookdutchesses.com on December 7th.

I went into reading this fairly blind. I just knew there was a witch, cooking, and breaking a hex. Honestly, that didn't let me down at all when I got into this. It was such a great read. I was amazed at how complex both Dina and Scott were.

Their problems were relatable and felt realistic. I was just as invested in their day to day life and accomplishments as I was the special events in this story line. The pacing was just right and the writing style was fantastic and gave me everything you could ask for imagery wise. Also the House was awesome IYKYK.

I cannot wait to read the next book by this author. Seriously this was amazing!

Best Hex Ever is the perfect cozy, autumnal read. Dina's magical baked goods are drool-worthy and make you feel the best things. Generally, I loved her magic and how grounded it was in the world while still having the space to be messy and chaotic. I'm also a huge fan of Dina's story as she is a bisexual, brown woman who lives with the relatable fear of coming out to her parents. She's also got a hex that leaves the people she falls for in a perilous position. There's so much self discovery and I just loved it.

I LOVE love and Dina and Scott's love is where it's at! There's instant attraction and chemistry between these two that left me wanting more from the start. Their chemistry is electrifying in the bedroom (literally glowing), and Scott certainly has a mouth on him.

Overall, a fun read that I want to reread next fall on audio to experience it in a whole new way!

I wanted to like this one SO bad, but unfortunately the writing style just lost me. So many scenes felt very disjunct from one another and it made it difficult to really get engrossed in this world and its character. I will say that the premise is excellent though. The coziness oozes off of each page and made me really, really crave a good croissant and an even better latte.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own :)

People knew what they were saying when posting about this book. It is definitely a cute storyline with good friends, love, cozy vibes, some spicy scenes sprinkled throughout, and a cute little cat. Honestly, Heebie might have been my favorite character.

<i> I'm a cat mom at heart, what can I say?</i>

The magical world building was pretty good and I loved how Dina used her magic to charm the goodies she sells at the coffee shop! Overall, this was a cute book but not one I'll think about for much longer than a few days.

Perhaps it was slightly overhyped?

Thank you to the publisher and author for the early copy to review!

Best Hex ever follows Dina, a kitchen witch, and Scott, a museum curator, that meet by chance at Dina's coffee shop. An instant attraction leaves them both thinking about each other. Serendipity, if you will, has them meeting again on the train as they are both (unbeknownst to them) heading to the same wedding. A magical weekend, a setup by their friends, leaves these two wanting more.

Unfortunately, the hex that follows Dina around may have other plans.

A cute, slightly spicy, witchy read that includes fate, consent, and following your heart.

This book was the cutest. I loved everything about it. Normally I'm not a fan of instalove romance but this worked for me. I want more. Is there going to be more?

Dina Whitlock, a kitchen witch and café owner in London, crafts spell-infused treats that bring warmth and wonder to her customers. This cozy, magical side of the story is its greatest strength, creating a charming atmosphere that feels like a warm hug. Every description of Dina’s kitchen magic is so vivid and inviting that readers may wish they could step into her café and sample the enchanted pastries themselves.

Where the book stumbles, however, is in the romance. There’s little emotional groundwork laid to convince readers of why these two characters would fall in love, making the romance feel forced rather than natural.

For fans of cozy magical realism and culinary charm, this book may offer just enough sweetness. But those looking for a love story that feels earned and authentic might be left wanting a little more.

Rounding up to 3 stars.

Witchy romcom with a spicy MC and even spicier chemistry between our couple. I really liked the magic touches and some of the queer and ethnic representation, but there were a few little things like plot holes that kept me from engaging more fully. If you’re looking for a magical fall pick me up, this one is good.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fall vibes:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Thank you to Random House and Dell for the advanced copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and PRHAudio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own!

I wanted to love this, I really really did! But it just didn't work for me.

Dina is a kitchen witch who runs the best coffeeshop in London. But unfortunately due to a spell gone awry, she's been hexed: anyone that falls in love with her will experience bad luck to the point where they could be injured. Due to this hex, Dina has stayed far away from any romance. But when Dina meets Scott, the best man in her best friend's wedding, it's hard to resist the sparks between the two of them.

What I liked: the kitchen witch nature of her powers. I loved this concept and wish I had these powers as well. I also loved Dina's Moroccan heritage because so often, witches are based on Anglo-Saxan legends and we never see witches from other parts of the world. Ferne Marks and Owen Hall were both fantastic narrators and I think they were a big part of why I kept going even when I was starting to lose interest.

My hot take: this book is filled with too much spice to make up for a lackluster plot. This book was way spicier than I had anticipated (which is FINE!!) but at times it felt like it was more spice than actual plot moving scenes and I had started to get a bit bored by the 50% mark. I also felt like the final fix of her hex was a bit of a letdown.

I know of others that have really enjoyed this so maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did. Unfortunately, this was a bit of a miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Best Hex Ever
by Nadia El-Fassi

Perfect for spooky season
Halloween Witchy
Cozy Spicy Hexxed love story

Thank you to @PRHAudio Dell and NetGalley for the gifted copies.

Dina, a kitchen witch and Scott’s mutual best friends are marrying each other. As they spend time together for all the wedding things, the chemistry between them is undeniable. But Dina avoids love because of a love hex hanging over her head. As she falls for Scott, she needs to undo the hex before he gets hurt.

Witchy vibes with lots of baking? Yes please. This was such a fun, cozy fall read. This story is sweet with a hint of spice and witty banter and a dash of magic. It’s a bit too insta-love for me to really invest in the romance, but I still thought it was cute.

I listened to the audiobook and I think that really made my experience. I loved listening to Ferne Marks and Owen Hall narrate the story. They did a great job pulling me into the story!

Dina Whitlock is a kitchen witch serving magic-infused treats in her London café. Thanks to a hex, any romantic partners get bad luck. She tells herself it doesn't matter, because at least her best friend is getting married. At the same time, Scott Mason is returning from two years abroad to be curator at the British Museum. He is now the best man for his best friend’s wedding, and doesn't expect to fall for the maid of honor. The two grow closer, Dina knows that Scott is in danger from the hex. Can she undo it before it’s too late?

I love the concept of Dina infusing memories and emotions into the food she makes, enhancing people's own abilities and emotions. It isn't a long lasting effect, but little boosts that help people. Her meet cute with Scott is plagued with bad luck, which follows her around anyway. It had started when she was a teenager, and followed her since then. The more she likes someone, the more dangerous the hex got. There are incidents that throw Dina and Scott together, as well as multiple accidents, oddities, and injuries that affect both. They get along great, and I loved seeing how they grew close and truly appreciated each other. Both were able to get past some of the barriers keeping them from being in a relationship, and by the end we know more about the hex and how to get past it. It's a similar lesson so many people in our real world have, without the magical hex to back it up. Dina and Scott have their happily ever after, and are able to find their way forward together.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to arc read this novel!

Perfect cozy spooky read for year around fun, not just halloween time!

This was so fun. One little spell turned hex really turned Dina's love life to a complicated mess. Maybe it was a good lesson to not mix love, personal want, and magic. Well Scott unknowingly challenges the "hex" and if we learn nothing else true love will a little help from the universe, cat/familiar, and friends can conquer all. Now this is a cozy romance.

Oh my, autumn vibes. This was the cutest little magical story about a girl who believes she’s hexed from finding true love. I was already gravitated to this but the cover art, as I an a sucker for a good romance novel. And this did NOT disappoint. The relationship between Dina and Scott has romcom written all over it and I hope to read more of them, if possible because their chemistry is MAGICAL.

Whether for SPOOKY SEASON or AUTUMN vibes, this is a fantastic choice and an absolute page-turner. As a first time read by the author, I look forward to new releases!

4 stars

One of the funnest and sweet witchy romances I have read. This book is a multiple perspective book, it had such great cozy fall vibes. I really loved all the baking, it sounded so yummy and how Dina used her magic to infuse them with certain feelings, like her friend's wedding cake, it is one of the most fun and imaginative uses of magic. The whole book was relaxing and enjoyable. The romance was sweet and just made my heart just gush, it was very fast developing, not quite insta love, but I just loved both Dina and Scott, that I did not mind. The conflict was not over the top and there was some miscommunication. It was an imaginative romantic story that I just fell in love with.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

1.5

I think there is a lot to love about this book; however, for me the execution fell incredibly flat. Dina is an Indian English kitchen witch who believes she has been hexed so that anyone who loves her gets hurt. She runs into Scott, a museum curator who's new job at the British Museum will involve creating a traveling exhibit of good luck charms design to return stolen artifacts to their home countries. Scott is immediately infatuated with her but she is afraid of her curse. Unbeknownst to them, their best friends are getting married to each other and they are forced together the weekend of the wedding.

I think my biggest issue with this book was how surface level it was. Scott and Dina go from strangers to "in love" in a matter of pages and 90% of their "pining" is just sex with no communication. Dina is constantly referring to her bisexuality with a preference for women in a way that makes it feel like the author couldn't come up with a better way to remind the reader that just because she's in a relationship with a man doesn't make her any less queer. And like I love that we're getting that representation because we need more of it but it felt really forced here.

Also, Dina's past actions related to her hex make me really uncomfortable. Like she totally took away another person's agency and it never really seemed like she addressed that was wrong short of her "woe is me I'm cursed" act. Then the resolution of the curse felt really flat because it would have been a prime moment to live her truth and she still chose not to. I get that coming out is a personal choice and honestly don't get the point of it 90% of the time but the whole book she was worried about how her parents would react and that scene proved they would love her no matter what but she still didn't say anything and it felt inauthentic to me.

I know it kind of seemed like I ranted about this book but I did see bones of a great story here. There were just a couple of things that started to grate on me as the story progressed and honestly I think it was too horny for me, especially with the lack of tension/emotional connection.

Dina, a witch with a hex, meets Scott, a curator who has just returned to the UK. The cozy fantasy vibes worked, and I wanted to curl up with a cup of tea while reading. But, the romance component left me wanting something more in the relationship between the two main characters.